Bernietakescharge turns on speed in Bay Ridge Stakes
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Bernietakescharge survived a fierce pace battle with favorite Landed and kept on going to record a 2 1/4-length victory in Sunday’s $125,000 Bay Ridge Stakes for New York-bred females at Aqueduct in the final stakes of the year on the New York Racing Association circuit.
Cupid’s Heart rallied past Landed to get second by three-quarters of a length. Fast and Frisky finished fourth, followed by Atlantis Queen, Five to Two and Soloshot.
Bernietakescharge, a 4-year-old daughter of Take Charge Indy, won for the fourth time in seven starts this year and seventh from 20 starts overall. It was the third stakes win this year for Bernietakescharge, who won the Heavenly Prize against open company in February and the Critical Eye for New York-breds in June.
Both Bernietakescharge and Landed have speed and their jockeys were intent on using it on Sunday.
Bernietakescharge, under Ruben Silvera, dueled outside of Landed, on the inside under Sahin Civaci, went head and head through a quarter in 22.96 seconds, a half-mile in 45.59 and six furlongs in 1:10.05.
Approaching the eighth pole, Bernietakescharge went on, but Landed did not. Cupid’s Heart made a mild stretch bid, but was no match for Bernietakescharge, who was a bit restless pre-race.
Bernietakescharge, trained by Dominick Schettino for owners Robert Rosenthal and Bradford Bernstein, covered the mile in 1:37.77 over a fast main track and returned $6.94 as the second choice.
“Her running style, she wants to be close or on the lead,” Schettino said in a post-race interview with the New York Racing Association. “Ruben didn't take anything away from her today and she was training super for this race.
“She ran the way she was training,” Schettino added. “She ran a gutsy race today. I’m proud of her.”
Silvera said he put Bernietakescharge into the race “because she likes to be in front - she likes the competition,” he said. “I put her in the game in the beginning and she kept on running. She’s a good filly.”
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